The Green Gyre (5 page)

Of Gyres and Trash Vortices

The Green Gyre
is a set of nested stories. The first is, of course, an accounting of a series of visits to Earth by an alien race and the range of our responses to it. It’s also an unapologetic reflection of the weaker aspects of human psychology, from Mark William’s ruthlessness to our incredible capacity for blind faith and optimism, from the exploitation of our fears by governments and militaries to the exploitation of our short-term attention spans by reporters and other so-called celebrities. Finally, it is a parable about the dangers of pollution. The title references oceanic phenomena, called gyres, and the very real impact our activities have on their ecosystems and the species which depend on them.

The North Pacific Gyre (NPG) is a natural structure located in the northern Pacific Ocean. It is one of the five major oceanic gyres, or circular ocean currents (the others are the Indian, North and South Atlantic, and South Pacific Gyres). The largest ecosystem in the world, the NPG is also the site of an unusually high concentration of man-made marine debris known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, or Pacific Trash Vortex, extends over an area of indeterminate size, depending on the concentration of plastic debris and chemical sludge used to define it. Estimates range from just under a million square kilometers to over fifteen million square kilometers. Nearly all of this material is suspended below the surface, and so it is not visible from space. Nor is it easily seen from near the surface, as most of the material is in the form of particulates known as microplastics, which are primarily formed by photodegradation and mechanical disruption of manmade waste material. As much as eighty percent of the pollution is thought to derive from land-based sources, presumably washed into the ocean from rivers.

Inevitably, some of this material winds up in the stomachs of marine creatures. Nearly all of the albatrosses inhabiting Midway Island, for example, have plastic in their digestive system, and many of their chicks die from being fed plastic by their parents. Larger pieces can disrupt digestion and interfere with other physiological processes and movement. The plastics can also absorb organic pollutants, which can be toxic and cause hormonal disruptions. Transfer of these toxins up the food chain into humans is a significant medical concern.

A reduction in the size of the patch must first start with changes in waste disposal practices and attitudes regarding pollution.

Similar patches may be found in all the oceans.

To learn more, click these links to read about
The North Pacific Gyre
and
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch
on Wikipedia.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

My thanks to the devoted staff of Brinestone Press, who helped put this book together and get it out to you.

Saul Tanpepper is a writer of speculative fiction for teens and adults. A former molecular geneticist originally from Upstate New York, he now calls Northern California home.

If you enjoyed
The Green Gyre
, please check out
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, available in digital and print formats from your favorite ebook store.

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by Saul Tanpepper

Recode: T.G.C.A. (The Grayson Cole Affair)

A metaphysical thriller

Deep Into the Game
(GAMELAND series)

A cyberpunk thriller

These are just two of Saul’s many works.

For complete publication list and availability,
visit his website

by Saul Tanpepper

Copyright © 2013 by Saul Tanpepper

All rights reserved.

Sept 10, 2013 by Brinestone Press, San Martin, CA 95046

Cover design K.J. Howe Copyright © 2013

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

LICENSE NOTES

Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book. The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

http://www.brinestonepress.com

Tanpepper, Saul (2013-09-10). The Green Gyre

Brinestone Press Digital Edition (rv130902)

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